The Jews Destroy Their Enemies

1 Now ain the twelfth°° month° (that is, the month° Adar°), on bthe thirteenth°°Iday°cwhen° the king’s° command° and edict°IIwere about to be executed°, on the day° when° the enemies° of the Jews° hoped° to gain° the mastery° over° them, it was turned° to the contrary so that the Jews° themselves° gained° the mastery° over° those who hated° them.
2aThe Jews° assembled° in their cities° throughout all° the provinces° of King° Ahasuerus° to lay° hands° on those who sought° their harm°; and no° one° could stand° before° them, bfor the dread° of them had fallen° on all° the peoples°.
3 Even all° the princes° of the provinces°, athe satraps°, the governors° and those who were doing° the king’s° business°Iassisted° the Jews°, because° the dread° of Mordecai° had fallen° on them.
4 Indeed°, Mordecai° was great° in the king’s° house°, and his fame° spread° throughout all° the provinces°; for the man° Mordecai°abecame° greater° and greater°.
5 Thus athe Jews° struck° all° their enemies° with Ithe sword°, killing° and destroying°; and they did° what° they pleased° to those who hated° them.
6 At the citadel° in Susa° the Jews° killed° and destroyed° five° hundred° men°,
7 and Parshandatha°, Dalphon°, Aspatha°,
8 Poratha°, Adalia°, Aridatha°,
9 Parmashta°, Arisai°, Aridai° and Vaizatha°,
10athe ten° sons° of Haman° the son° of Hammedatha°, the Jews’° enemy°; but bthey did not lay° their hands° on the plunder°.

11 ¶ On that day° the number° of those who were killed° at the citadel° in Susa°Iwas reported° to the king°.
12 The king° said° to Queen° Esther°, “The Jews° have killed° and destroyed° five° hundred° men° and the ten° sons° of Haman° at the citadel° in Susa°. What° then have they done° in the rest° of the king’s° provinces°! aNow what° is your petition°? It shall even be granted° you. And what° is your further° request°? It shall also be done°.”
13 Then said° Esther°, “If° it pleases°° the king°, alet tomorrow° also° be granted° to the Jews° who° are in Susa° to do° according to the edict° of today°; and let Haman’s° ten° sons° be hanged° on the gallows°.”
14 So the king° commanded° that it should be done° so°; and an edict° was issued° in Susa°, and Haman’s° ten° sons° were hanged°.
15 The Jews° who° were in Susa° assembled° also° on the fourteenth°° day° of the month° Adar° and killed°athree° hundred° men° in Susa°, but bthey did not lay° their hands° on the plunder°.

16 ¶ Now athe rest° of the Jews° who° [were] in the king’s° provinces°bassembled°, to defend° their lives° and Irid° themselves° of their enemies°, and kill° 75,000°°° of those who hated° them; but they did not lay° their hands° on the plunder°.
17 [This was done] on athe thirteenth°° day° of the month° Adar°, and bon the fourteenth°°Iday they rested° and made° it a day° of feasting° and rejoicing°.

18 ¶ But the Jews° who° were in Susa°aassembled° on the thirteenth°° and bthe fourteenth°°Iof the same month, and they rested° on the fifteenth°°Iday and made° it a day° of feasting° and rejoicing°.
19 Therefore°° the Jews° of the rural° areas°, who live° in athe rural° towns°, make° the fourteenth°° day° of the month° Adar° [a] Ibholiday°° for rejoicing° and feasting° and csending° portions° [of food] to one° another°.

The Feast of Purim Instituted

20 ¶ Then Mordecai° recorded° these° events°, and he sent° letters° to all° the Jews° who° were in all° the provinces° of King° Ahasuerus°, both near° and far°,
21 obliging°° them to celebrate° the fourteenth°° day° of the month° Adar°, and the fifteenth°° day°Iof the same month, annually°°,
22 because on those days° the Jews°Irid° themselves° of their enemies°, and [it was a] month° which° was aturned° for them from sorrow° into gladness° and from mourning° into a IIholiday°°; that they should make° them days° of feasting° and rejoicing° and bsending° portions° [of food] to one° another° and gifts° to the poor°.

23 ¶ Thus the Jews° undertook° what° they had started° to do°, and what° Mordecai° had written° to them.
24 For Haman° the son° of Hammedatha°, the Agagite°, the adversary° of all° the Jews°, had schemed° against° the Jews° to destroy° them and ahad cast° Pur°, that is the lot°, to disturb° them and destroy° them.
25 But awhen it came°Ito the king’s° attention°, he commanded° by letter°bthat his wicked° scheme° which° he had IIdevised° against° the Jews°, cshould return° on his own head° and that he and his sons° should be hanged° on the IIIgallows°.
26 Therefore°° they called° these° days° Purim° after° the name° of Pur°. IAnd abecause° of the instructions° in this° letter°, both what° they had seen° in this° regard° and what° had happened° to them,
27 the Jews° established° and Imade° a custom° for themselves and for their IIdescendants° and for aall° those who allied° themselves with them, so that IIIthey would not fail°bto celebrate° these° two° days° according to their IVregulation° and according to their appointed° time° annually°°.
28 So these° days° were to be remembered° and celebrated° throughout every° generation°, every° family°, every° province° and every° city°; and these° days° of Purim° were not to Ifail° from among° the Jews°, or their memory°IIfade° from their IIIdescendants°.

29 ¶ Then Queen° Esther°, adaughter° of Abihail°, with Mordecai° the Jew°, wrote° with full° authority° to confirm°bthis° second° letter° about Purim°.
30 He sent° letters° to all° the Jews°, ato the 127°°° provinces° of the kingdom° of Ahasuerus°, [namely], words° of peace° and truth°,
31 to establish° these° days° of Purim° at their appointed° times°, just° as Mordecai° the Jew° and Queen° Esther° had established° for them, and just° as they had established° for themselves° and for their Idescendants° with IIinstructions°afor their times° of fasting° and their lamentations°.
32 The command° of Esther° established° these°Icustoms° for aPurim°, and it was written° in the book°.

The Jews (the rulers, for fear of Mordecai, helping them) slay their enemies, with the ten sons of Haman.

1 ¶ Now in the twelfthºº month,º that² [is], the monthº Adar,º on the thirteenthºº dayº of the same, when² the king'sº commandmentº and his decreeº drew nearºª to be put in execution,ºª in the dayº that² the enemiesºª of the Jewsº hopedºª to have powerºª over them, (though it² was turned¹ª to the contrary,² that² the Jewsº had rule¹ª over² them² that hatedºª them;) 2 The Jewsº gathered themselves togetherºª in their citiesº throughout all² the provincesº of the kingº Ahasuerus,º to layºª handº on such as soughtºª their hurt:º and no² manº could withstandºª them;¹ for² the fearº of them fellºª upon² all² people.º3 And all² the rulersº of the provinces,º and the lieutenants,º and the deputies,º and officersººª of² the king,º helpedºª² the Jews;º because² the fearº of Mordecaiº fellºª upon² them. 4 For² Mordecaiº [was] greatº in the king'sº house,º and his fameº went outºª throughout all² the provinces:º for² this manº Mordecaiº waxedºª greater and greater.º5 Thus the Jewsº smoteºª all² their enemiesºª with the strokeº of the sword,º and slaughter,º and destruction,º and didºª what they wouldº unto those that hatedºª them. 6 And in Shushanº the palaceº the Jewsº slewºª and destroyedºª fiveº hundredº men.º7 And Parshandatha,º and Dalphon,º and Aspatha,º8 And Poratha,º and Adalia,º and Aridatha,º9 And Parmashta,º and Arisai,º and Aridai,º and Vajezatha,º10 The tenº sonsº of Hamanº the sonº of Hammedatha,º the enemyºª of the Jews,º slewºª they; but on the spoilº laidºª they not²² their hand.º11 On that² dayº the numberº of those that were slainºª in Shushanº the palaceº was broughtºª beforeº the king.º

Ahasuerus, at the request of Esther, granteth another day of slaughter, and Haman's sons to be hanged.

12 ¶ And the kingº saidºª unto Estherº the queen,º The Jewsº have slainºª and destroyedºª fiveº hundredº menº in Shushanº the palace,º and the tenº sonsº of Haman;º what² have they doneºª in the restº of the king'sº provinces?º now what² [is] thy petition?º and it shall be grantedºª thee: or what² [is] thy requestº further?º and it shall be done.ºª13 Then saidºª Esther,º If² it please¹²² the king,º let it be grantedºª to the Jewsº which² [are] in Shushanº to doºª to morrowº also² according unto this day'sº decree,º and let Haman'sº tenº sonsº be hangedºª upon² the gallows.º14 And the kingº commandedºª it so² to be done:ºª and the decreeº was givenºª at Shushan;º and they hangedºª Haman'sº tenº sons.º15 For the Jewsº that² [were] in Shushanº gathered themselves togetherºª on the fourteenthºº dayº also² of the monthº Adar,º and slewºª threeº hundredº menº at Shushan;º but on the preyº they laidºª not²² their hand.º16 But the otherº Jewsº that² [were] in the king'sº provincesº gathered themselves together,ºª and stoodºª for² their lives,º and had rest¹² from their enemies,ºª² and slewºª of their foesºª seventyº and fiveº thousand,º but they laidºª not²² their handsº on the prey,º17 On the thirteenthºº dayº of the monthº Adar;º and on the fourteenthºº day of the same rested¹² they, and madeºª it a dayº of feastingº and gladness.º18 But the Jewsº that² [were] at Shushanº assembled togetherºª on the thirteenthºº [day] thereof, and on the fourteenthºº thereof; and on the fifteenthºº [day] of the same they rested,¹² and madeºª it a dayº of feastingº and gladness.º19 Therefore²² the Jewsº of the villages,º that dweltºª in the unwalledº towns,º madeºª² the fourteenthºº dayº of the monthº Adarº [a day of] gladnessº and feasting,º and a goodº day,º and of sendingº portionsº oneº to another.º

The two days of Purim are made festival.

20 ¶ And Mordecaiº wroteºª² these² things,º and sentºª lettersº unto² all² the Jewsº that² [were] in all² the provincesº of the kingº Ahasuerus,º [both] nighº and far,º21 To stablishºª [this] among² them, that they should² keepºª² the fourteenthºº dayº of the monthº Adar,º and the fifteenthºº dayº of the same, yearly,º²22 As the daysº wherein² the Jewsº restedºª from their enemies,ºª² and the monthº which² was turnedºª unto them from sorrowº² to joy,º and from mourningº² into a goodº day:º that they should makeºª them daysº of feastingº and joy,º and of sendingº portionsº oneº to another,º and giftsº to the poor.º23 And the Jewsº undertookºª to doºª² as² they had begun,ºª and as² Mordecaiº had writtenºª unto² them; 24 Because² Hamanº the sonº of Hammedatha,º the Agagite,º the enemyºª of all² the Jews,º had devisedºª against² the Jewsº to destroyºª them, and had castºª Pur,º that² [is], the lot,º to consumeºª them, and to destroyºª them; 25 But when [Esther] cameºª beforeº the king,º he commandedºª by² lettersº that his wickedº device,º which² he devisedºª against² the Jews,º should returnºª upon² his own head,º and that he and his sonsº should be hangedºª on² the gallows.º26 Wherefore²² they calledºª these² daysº Purimº after² the nameº of Pur.º Therefore²² for² all² the wordsº of this² letter,º and [of that] which² they had seenºª concerning² this matter,º and which² had comeºª unto² them, 27 The Jewsº ordained,ºª and tookºª upon² them, and upon² their seed,º and upon² all² such as joined¹ª themselves² unto² them, so as it should not² fail,ºª that they would keepºª² these² twoº daysº according to their writing,º and according to their [appointed]² time¹ every² year;º28 And [that] these² daysº [should be] rememberedºª and keptºª throughout¹ every² generation,º every family,º every province,º and every city;º and [that] these² daysº of Purimº should not² failºª from amongº² the Jews,º nor² the memorialº of them perishºª from their seed.º²29 Then Estherº the queen,º the daughterº of Abihail,º and Mordecaiº the Jew,º wroteºª with² all² authority,º to confirmºª² this² secondº letterº of Purim.º30 And he sentºª the lettersº unto² all² the Jews,º to² the hundredº twentyº and sevenº provincesº of the kingdomº of Ahasuerus,º [with] wordsº of peaceº and truth,º31 To confirmºª² these² daysº of Purimº in their timesº [appointed], according as² Mordecaiº the Jewº and Estherº the queenº had enjoinedºª² them, and as² they had decreedºª for² themselvesº and for² their seed,º the mattersº of the fastingsº and their cry.º32 And the decreeº of Estherº confirmedºª these² mattersº of Purim;º and it was writtenºª in the book.º